First Encounter
by x-MarsBar
Summary: Haley doesn't know about Hotch and Emily's blossoming relationship yet. Takes place during season 4.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own Criminal Minds. -sniffles;

* * *

Emily Prentiss was, for once, content with filling out paperwork. The team was exhausted and the only thing on their minds was getting home and into their beds. Their last case had been a tough one and they'd spent over a week and a half in Missouri tracking down a serial rapist who left his victims on the freeway at the dead of night. The BAU team had spent almost every night trying to come up with a profile for this guy, but he was good. He made sure to not leave anything that would give him away, enough so that Forensics hadn't caught anything up until the last three days that they were there. It had been easy making the profile after he'd finally slipped up and not long afterwards he was caught trying to take another woman by a patrol officer taking the long route home after work. In the end, all the women he had hurt eventually had their justice and their work had paid off.

Emily glanced out the window of their jet and watched as the sun glided through the thick, white clouds. She looked away long enough to catch a glimpse of her watch before looking back once more and finally looking away, turning her attention to her team members instead. Hotch was asleep in the seat beside her, his head was perched against his hand, a scowl on his face, as usual. Emily smirked at him as she gently stroked his cheek, lightly enough to not wake him. Morgan looked up from where he had been reading another file, his own smirk crossing his face at the intimate gesture.

"Hey, Emily. I thought you and Hotch said you'd keep your relationship quiet for the time being." His brow shot up as he watched Emily glare at him from across the jet.

"Well, Morgan, if you would stop staring at us every minute of every day, then maybe you wouldn't even see us acting like a couple, now would you?" She lifted her own eyebrow as she grinned over at her colleague and friend. His own smile faltered slightly. "Yeah. I thought so."

She turned away then, a triumphant grin lit up her face as she turned to focus on the page in front of her. Emily picked up her pen once again and continued to write. She just finished signing off at the bottom before she felt Hotch beginning to wake up beside her. He blinked a couple of times before stretching out his legs underneath the table they were seated in front of.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Emily teased without looking up from the file she was just about to finish with. She flipped a page over and signed her name once again before setting it back into the folder and letting it fall shut. She leaned against Hotch slightly, jolting him to the side and he grunted as he sat up straighter.

"Morning, Em," he said, the corners of his lips tiliting up some as he looked at her and then down at the file in front of them. He looked back up at his girlfriend, who had already turned her head to look back out the window. "What time is it?" He started to mess with his suit jacket's sleeve to try and catch the time on his watch but Emily beat him to it.

"It's a little after seven. We should be landing in another hour or so." She let her head fall onto Hotch's shoulder sleepily and closed her eyes for a moment before she reopened them. Looking up at him again, she whispered, "Derek is stalking us." She tried to keep a serious face, but a smile broke through as they both looked over at Morgan who felt their gazes and looked up, a little uncomfortable. He quickly let his head drop again and continued reading the file in his hands.

Emily laughed quietly in an effort to not wake up JJ, who had also fallen asleep once they had boarded. The young, blonde liaison had her head leaning against the wall of the jet beside the small window, which she had shut to keep the sunlight out of her face and let her sleep better. Dave was sitting in the seat across from her, staring at another file, one he had probably pulled from JJ while she was sleeping. Reid was reading a book a few seats away from Morgan. He seemed totally engrossed in it, that he probably couldn't hear the conversation going on between Emily and Hotch, not that he caught onto things easily to begin with.

"I can't wait to get home. It's going to be nice to finally sleep in my own bed again," Emily said with a small yawn. She hadn't slept much at all, and she tried to catch up on her sleep whenever they flew anywhere since the altitude gave her headaches at times. But she couldn't keep her eyes closed for more than a few minutes at a time.

"I think that sounds like a good idea," he murmured and then continued after a beat, "Haley is finally letting me have Jack over for the whole weekend. She's dropping him off later and I'll drop him off at her sister's Sunday night. He really wants to see you."

"Mmm. Maybe I could drop by later and see him for a few minutes." She kept her eyes trained on his face and he smiled softly down at her.

"Or... I can take you home with me and we can fix something to eat. Then I have to get some movies for Jack later and you can help pick some out. Or you can stay and catch some sleep before he gets there. You know he's going to tear through the place once he finds out you're there."

"No, I don't want to interrupt the time you have with him. You haven't had him over for a whole weekend in weeks. You should be spending it with him, Aaron."

"It's perfectly fine, Em. Jack loves having you over and so do I. It's funner with you there, Jack's exact words."

"He said that?" She couldn't help but smile softly as she let her head loll to the side and closed her eyes. "Well, he keeps me busy and entertained all the same."

He nodded, a ghost of a smile flitting across his features for a second or two as he sat back as well. "You should get some more sleep, Emily. I'll wake you up when we land."

She merely nodded, letting her head fall back onto his shoulder. While they had both agreed to keep their interaction at work on the minimum, they both felt safe with the rest of the team and let the little things slide when they were with them.

Emily drifted off into a sleep that came all too easily.

* * *

**Tell me what you think. All advice is much appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

Emily was jolted awake as the jet hit the tarmac and sent its occupants in different directions. She gripped the armrest of her chair while the plane fought to steady itself. Once it was smoothly gliding down the runway she relaxed and looked out the window to see that they were indeed safely on the ground. She ran a tired hand over her face and turned to her right to see a concerned Hotch watching her carefully. "I'm okay. I just wasn't expecting the turbulence or the whole crash-onto-the-ground thing." She gave him a small smile and realized that everyone else was awake. All four of the others were bickering about something absolutely random and she couldn't even keep up with their conversation. "What are they all arguing about?"

Hotch tossed a look over at his team and shrugged as he turned his dark eyes back to Emily's. "Something about the book Reid was reading. He disagrees and Morgan and JJ are trying to get him to see it in a different view. Rossi tried to break it up, but as usual was also pulled into it."

Emily smiled slightly as she pulled herself up and realized that her seat belt had been buckled. She turned her head towards Hotch but he was already looking away. She had no doubt that, instead of waking her up, he had latched her seat belt for the landing. Emily shook her head slightly as she wiggled her way into a sitting position. Once she comfortably seated, she sat patiently until the jet came to a complete halt and the pilot's voice came over the speakers that they were allowed to unboard. Everyone undid their seat belts and went around the jet grabbing files, jackets, briefcases and bags before they made their way to the front of the jet. After everyone had made their way down the steps, they headed off to their separate vehicles.

Hotch guided Emily towards the standard black SUV and opened the back door for her to toss her bag in before he let it fall closed. He went around to his side just as Emily closed her door and he quickly got in and they both buckled up.

"You ready?" His voice was quiet as it filled the empty air.

Emily turned to look at him and nodded as she replied, "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

Hotch pushed open the door to his apartment and let Emily step through first. She dropped her bag in the foyer and went about her usual routine. She slipped off her boots and set them neatly by the bag she had abandoned. Hotch always teased her about being so messily organized, as he liked to refer to it. She could throw anything somewhere it didn't belong but and keep it together and out of the way.

Hotch watched Emily head straight for his refrigerator where she grabbed a bottle of water and bumped her hip against the door to slam it back shut. She leaned against the counter and lifted the cold drink to her lips before taking a large gulp. She cleared her throat as she set the bottle on the counter and sauntered over to where Hotch was still standing, settling his bag beside hers.

"So what's the game plan?" She asked, a small smile tugging at her lips as she watched him place their things together. He usually liked to keep everything organized and would nag and whine about her leaving her things everywhere. Their roles in the relationship had obviously been switched somewhere along the line.

"Haley's bringing Jack in a couple of hours, so we have time to grab something to eat and look for some movies." He looked up at her as he finally pushed their things back so no one would trip over them. Knowing Jack, he would probably burst through the door and not realize that there was something in front of his feet.

Emily nodded and turned around to walk towards the living room. "Well, get to it Agent Hotchner. I'm starving and I'll need the energy when Jack arrives." She sent him another smile, this time it was fuller and more alive than before.

His lips twitched as he watched her collapse onto the sofa and lift her eyes towards him. "Chinese?"

"You know it," she replied as she leaned back into the cushions and closed her eyes. She listened to Hotch as he moved around the apartment, ordering their take-out and placing everything where it should go. Jack had a tendency to find trouble easily, so they always made sure valuables or candidates for safety hazards were out of the way.

"Are you sure you're okay?" His smooth voice filled her head and she realized that he had taken his seat by her head.

She quickly fluttered her dark eyes open and watched him curiously for a moment. "Yeah, it's just one of those long days."

"You don't have to stay if you're too tired. I'm sure Jack would understand; I do."

She sat up then with a quick shake of her head. "No, I want to spend the day with you and Jack. I'll be fine after I pig out and relax some more. Promise. And if I don't feel any better tonight, I'll go to bed early, okay?"

He glared at her for a moment before finally nodding. That was reasonable, right? He thought it was. She sent another smile his way and he added, "Food should be here in about a half hour. I'll go get some movies after we eat. You're staying here."

She opened her mouth to object and he just shook his head. "Don't fight me, Emily." She huffed a breath but stayed silent as she settled against him. He flickered the TV on to life and they both slid deeper into the cushions to wait for their lunch to arrive.

* * *

Emily hummed as she dipped a piece of her chicken into her sweet and sour sauce. She lifted it to her lips and grinned as she realized that Hotch was watching her. "Wan' a piece?" She stretched her fork out towards him and laughed when he smiled and shook his head. She shrugged and bit down into it quickly.

"You do realize you make all kinds of noises while you eat, right?" He smiled as he looked down at his own food. Emily laughed again and his smile grew.

"Really? You know... that would explain why Mother would always glare daggers at me when we had guests over." She smiled at Hotch and shrugged before she went right on eating.

He took a couple more big bites out of his dish and stood up with it. He moved out of the living room area and into the kicthen. He slid the remainder of his food into the fridge before he quickly returned to where Emily was. She looked over her shoulder at him as he snatched up his keys and his suit jacket. He slipped it on and rushed over to Emily. He dropped a quick kiss on her lips and started to head toward the front of the apartment. "We took longer in eating than I expected. I'm going to grab Jack's movies; I'll be back soon."

"Okay. Love you. Don't forget to get _Finding Nemo_ and _Madagascar_!" Her only response was a 'Love you too' and a quick chuckle. The door shut with an audible click and she turned to glare at the TV in front of her. What was she supposed to do until he got back? She bit into another piece of her chicken and hummed again, only now it had a sense of annoyance to it.

Well, she might as well finish her food and clean up her mess. She snatched up the last bit of her food and slipped the lid closed. She made her way into the kitchen and threw the white dish into the garbage can before walking out towards the foyer. She grabbed both her bag and Hotch's and turned to slip into his bedroom. She dropped both bags onto the bed but pulled hers forward. Emily made fast work of the zipper and dug through the black carry-on bag until she found her sweats pants and a comfortable t-shirt.

She was pulling an elastic hair band out of her small toiletries bag when she heard the knock at the door. She groaned and snapped the elastic onto her wrist. She quickly left the bedroom and walked to the front door, kicking her forgotten boots, jostled from the bags, out of her way. She reached it and first lifted her eyes to the peep hole. She reached for the knob then froze in a momentary state of panic as she realized who exactly it was on the other side.

_Holy shit, it's Haley! _Her thoughts scattered as she contemplated on what to do. Would Hotch be mad that she opened his door? Especially since his ex-wife had no idea that they had been together for months. But his son was there, he was here to spend the weekend with his father and Emily couldn't just ignore them. She took a deep breath and unlocked the door as another knock sounded. She swung the door open before she had second thoughts and came face to face with the her boyfriend's ex.

"Emmy!"

"Agent Prentiss?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Hi," Emily's voice was neutral as Jack rushed forward to cling onto her legs. She watched as the young boy's mother took in the scene before her and glared. Emily reached down to lift Jack onto her hip and turned hesitantly back to Haley.

"What are you doing here? Aaron didn't tell me you were working on any cases." Haley's eyes flashed angrily as she saw how excited her son was to see his father's colleague. This was not normal, considering that Jack had been to the office only a handful of times. They couldn't possibly be this close. "And where _is_ Aaron?"

_Like he'd have to anyway_, she thought with an internal sigh. Instead, she put on a polite smile and shook her head. "No cases. We were just eating a late lunch since we just got back from one. He left a little while ago to get Jack some movies."

"_Finding Nemo_?!" Jack's voice made Emily smile and she tickled his side as she nodded.

"Yup and a few others."

"You were eating lunch together?" Haley broke through her son and Emily's conversation quickly.

"Yes." Emily thought that keeping it short and sweet would be the better way to go with this.

"Emmy is Daddy's special friend," Jack added with an innocent grin.

Emily stared down at the young child in her arms and sighed loudly. Alrighty, then. "What Jack means is—"

"Oh, I know exactly what he means, Agent Prentiss. You did know that this was Aaron's weekend with Jack, right? Because he doesn't get many with his son."

Emily cocked a brow at Haley. "Yes, I'm completely aware that Aaron has him for the weekend. He told me on the flight back. I was going to head home when Aaron asked me to come over and see Jack."

"He invited you?" Haley seemed somewhat reluctant to accept that. She continued to glare at the tall, brunette woman holding her child so easily. How much time had her ex-husband's little girlfriend actually spent with her son? They seemed comfortable to be in each others arms, despite the tick tension hanging in the air between the two women.

"He did." Emily nodded.

"How long have you two been together?" Her tone was bitter and Emily didn't like it at all. What made Haley think she was superior to her? Emily was a good person, she always tried to put everyone before herself and succeeded easily. She took care of her boyfriend's son as if he were her own. She was trying her hardest to be as civil as she could be to his ex-wife as well. She sure as hell wouldn't let herself crack under Haley's scrutinization.

"That's none of your business. I'm sorry but if there's nothing more, I'd very much like to get back into the apartment."

Haley actually seemed startled at Emily's rudeness. _I apologize, your highness_, Emily thought as she reached out for Jack's small blue suitcase and his bag of books and toys. Haley released them to her and reached out for her son. Emily set him down and took hold of the bags as she placed them just inside the door.

"Bye, baby. I love you," Haley told her son as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Love you too, Mommy." He flung an arm around his mother's neck and then released her to scamper through the open door.

"Tell Aaron to drop him off at my mother's Sunday," she told Emily quietly, a whole lot politer than before.

Emily nodded and sighed as Haley turned to leave. "Haley, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so snobbish, it's just..."

"Awkward? Yeah, and you were right. It's none of my business. You know, I have to go."

Emily waited until Haley reached the elevator and had stepped in before she turned around and headed in to look for Jack. A loud crash from the next room had her slamming the door and running to find the small Hotchner.

"Oops..." Jack's voice rang out.

* * *

Emily laughed as Jack came dragging the broom into the kitchen, where she was throwing away the shattered picture frame that he had knocked over. She crossed the room to help him out. She reached for the broom and he willingly gave it up with an exhausted sigh.

"I'm sorry, Emmy. Will Daddy be mad at me?" His voice was tiny as he asked her and she gave him a reassuring smile.

"No, Jack. Daddy won't be mad; it was an accident," she replied as she placed to broom back into place in the small closet Hotch had in his kitchen. She closed the door with a muted click and reached down to tickle Jack's sides. The little boy giggled and gently pushed at her hands, but when he realized she wasn't going to stop, he squealed and darted for the living room.

Jack collapsed onto the sofa with Emily right behind him. "Tickle monster," he screeched through his laughter. "Tickle monster!"

Emily laughed along with him as she finally let him go. He was starting to lose his breath. "The tickle monster is tired," she said as she collapsed back against the dark cushions. "And she's too old to be chasing Jack around the apartment."

Jack giggled at her and shook his head violently. "You're not old, Emmy! That's Uncle Dave."

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. No need to encourage Jack to repeat this anywhere else. "That he is, but let's just keep that between the two of is okay? We don't want to make Uncle Dave feel bad. He still believes he's the stud he was back in the 70s."

"What's a stud?"

"Nothing you need to know about just yet," was her quick cover-up.

Jack stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "Okay."

There was a long pause as Jack turned away from her and stared down at the sneakers covering his feet.

"Emmy?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Why don't you and Mommy like each other?"

The question startled her. She shifted, unsure of how to answer his question. How did you explain to a four year old child that you didn't get along with his mother? All because Haley had bitter feelings toward the woman her ex-husband had fallen in love with shortly after their divorce. Hotch had explained to her then that his and Haley's marriage was long over, that they hadn't been in love with each other for quite some time. But Emily wasn't so sure the same went for Haley, her attitude today proved it.

"We do like each other, honey. It's just a bit complicated for the two of us. She's not happy that your Daddy and I are happy together." _And she has to act like a bitch to prove it. _Of course, she would never say that out loud. She never took Jack's love and friendship for granted and she wasn't going to ruin it because she had her own bitter feelings toward her boyfriend's ex-wife. She had kept her mouth shut for the past few months while her relationship with Hotch had grown more serious, and she was going to continue to do so. Hotch had told that he loved her and only her and she believed him completely.

"But she has Mr. Jacobs. Why is she mad that Daddy has you?"

Emily smiled at the fact that Jack still referred to Haley's boyfriend so formally. "I'm not sure, baby, but it's better that you don't ask her about it okay? She and I both love you very much, just like Daddy, whether we're friends and like each other or not."

Jack simply nodded his head as he crawled into Emily's lap. "Okay. I love you too. Emmy? I'm sleepy."

She cradled him in her arms as she stood, careful to not jostle him around. "Alright, sweet boy. It's off to take a siesta."

"What's that?" He asked sleepily, his words slurring together.

Emily grinned and shook her head as she made her way carefully to Jack's room. "It's Spanish for 'nap'," she whispered.

"Oh, okay." And he was out like a light.

Emily pushed the door open to his room with her elbow. She expertly switched the tiny body into one arm and pulled the covers back to his bed before setting him down on it. She pulled them back up to cover his sleeping form and watched him for a few seconds. She turned to leave and left the door wide open in case he were to need her.


End file.
